Brighton are showing no signs of slowing down their defensive rebuild, with TEAMtalk confirming the Seagulls remain keen to sign both Luka Vuskovic and Honest Ahanor despite closing in on a deal for Pascal Struijk, though the fee for the departing Leeds man is less than initially billed.
Brighton have moved decisively to secure Struijk after the Dutch defender made it clear he would not be signing a new contract at Elland Road.
With just one year remaining on his deal, Leeds have reluctantly accepted that this summer represented their final opportunity to receive a significant transfer fee and have now agreed a package worth an initial £15m with a further £3m in add-ons – slightly less than the £20m fee originally reported.
The Yorkshire club are already drawing up a shortlist of replacements as they prepare for life without one of Farke’s most reliable defenders.
However, we understand that Brighton’s business at centre-back is far from finished.
Sources have confirmed the south coast club remain firmly in the market for more defensive reinforcements and are continuing to pursue two of Europe’s most highly-rated young defenders.
One of those is Atalanta’s Honest Ahanor.
Brighton have already tabled a bid worth around £34million (€40m, $45.5m) for the versatile defender, who has attracted widespread interest following his emergence in Serie A.
Capped twice by Italy despite only being 18, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City have all tracked Ahanor extensively.
However, it is Brighton who have moved aggressively in an attempt to steal a march on their Premier League rivals – although Atalanta have rejected their initial offer.
The Bergamo side are not in a hurry to sell Ahanor as they have already green-lit the high-profile sales of Ederson and Marco Palestra this summer, with the Serie A side determined to avoid a third high-profile departure…
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Brighton confident they can sign Tottenham star Vuskovic
Sources can also reveal that Brighton remain fully committed to signing Tottenham Hotspur youngster Luka Vuskovic.
The Croatian starlet has already agreed personal terms with Brighton and has informed Tottenham that he wants to make the move to the Amex Stadium this summer.
Sources indicate Vuskovic believes Brighton offer the clearest pathway to regular first-team football at this stage of his career.
Despite Tottenham’s admiration for the teenager, the defender is unconvinced his development would be best served in north London.
Spurs have significantly strengthened their defensive options, adding Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke to a group that already includes Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin.
Although Cristian Romero and Dragusin are both expected to depart before the transfer window closes, Vuskovic still believes opportunities would remain limited compared to what Brighton are prepared to offer.
Brighton’s long-standing reputation for developing young talent has also been a major factor in the player’s thinking.
The club believe Vuskovic possesses the attributes to become one of Europe’s leading central defenders and are working to convince Tottenham to sanction a deal.
Meanwhile, Ahanor remains another priority as Fabian Hurzeler looks to assemble one of the Premier League’s most exciting young defensive units.
Struijk’s imminent arrival will provide immediate Premier League experience and leadership, but Brighton are equally focused on investing in elite young talent capable of becoming long-term cornerstones of the squad.
TEAMtalk understands Brighton see the three deals as complementary rather than competing.
With Struijk offering proven top-flight quality and both Vuskovic and Ahanor viewed as defenders with enormous ceilings, the Seagulls believe they can strengthen both the present and the future in one ambitious summer.
Whether they can complete all three deals remains to be seen, but Brighton have made it clear their defensive recruitment drive is far from over.